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Dictionary

Words, grammatical forms and meanings linked to the ontology.

set out en · VERB

Pronunciation

  • (US) audio
  • /ˈsɛt‿aʊt/ (General-American, Received-Pronunciation)

Meanings

  1. (transitive) To explain something, or give exact details, usually in writing.
    • This contract sets out all the terms of the agreement as we discussed.
  2. (intransitive) To go out, leave.
    • I had been calling Nobs in the meantime and was about to set out in search of him, fearing, to tell the truth, to do so lest I find him mangled and dead among the trees of the acacia grove, when he suddenly emerged from among the boles, his ears flattened, his tail between his legs and his body screwed into a suppliant S. He was unharmed except for minor bruises; but he was the most chastened dog I have ever seen. 1918 September–November, Edgar Rice Burroughs, “The Land That Time Forgot”, in The Blue Book Magazine, Chicago, Ill.: Story-press Corp., →OCLC; republished as chapter V, in Hugo Gernsback, editor, Amazing Stories, (please specify |part=I to III), New York, N.Y.: Experimenter Publishing, 1927, →OCLC:
    • Tomorrow we set out for America.
  3. (intransitive) To start an activity with the intention of finishing it.
    • He set out with the aim of writing the book in less than 3 months.
    • Many young people set out to change the world.
  4. (UK, transitive) To position, to put in a position
    • Following the acquisition of Di María, a winger, there was almost as much interest in the manner in which Van Gaal would set out his team as there was in the personnel. It was probably as well, considering only the goalkeeper David De Gea was retained from the XI who started Sunday’s draw at Sunderland. 26 August 2014, Richard Rae, “Manchester United humbled by MK Dons after Will Grigg hits double”, in The Guardian:
  5. (obsolete, transitive) To arrange the necessary type into a printing press in preparation to run it.

Forms

SpellingFeaturesLabelsSource
setting out Tense=Pres, VerbForm=Part lexicographic
sets out Number=Sing, Person=3, Tense=Pres lexicographic
set out Tense=Past, VerbForm=Part lexicographic
set out Tense=Past lexicographic

Deriveds

set out one's stall · outset

Synonyms

set forth · take out

Translations (49)

fi aloittaa (to start an activity) · gl dispor (to explain) · fr expliquer (to explain) · got 𐌲𐌰𐌻𐌴𐌹𐌸𐌰𐌽 (to leave) · it fissarsi (to start an activity) · bg отправям се (to start an activity) · bg напускам (to leave) · gl partir (to leave) · es proponerse (to start an activity) · fr se mettre en chemin (to leave) · zdj undjia ho-ndzia-ni (to leave) · fi määritellä (to explain) · fi lähteä (to leave) · pt dispor (to start an activity) · la proficiscor (to leave) · cmn 動身 /动身 (to leave) · cs vydat se (to leave) · eo ekiri (to leave) · it partire (to leave) · pt dispor (to explain) · nl beginnen (to start an activity) · gl dispoñer (to start an activity) · it uscire (to leave) · nl verlaten (to leave) · nl gaan (to leave) · ru устана́вливать (to explain) · de sich aufmachen (to leave) · cs vypravit se (to leave) · txb mit- (to leave) · fi alkaa (to start an activity) · mi whātika (to leave) · fi yksilöidä (to explain) · fr commencer (to start an activity) · it illustrare (to explain) · nl uitzetten (to explain) · ny -manga ulendo (to leave) · fi ryhtyä (to start an activity) · gl dispoñer (to explain) · it esplicare (to explain) · te బయలుదేరు (to leave) · mi whakatika (to leave) · ru отправля́ться (to leave) · ru отпра́виться (to leave) · fi lähteä matkaan (to leave) · gl dispor (to start an activity) · pt partir (to leave) · nl uiteenzetten (to explain) · nl starten (to start an activity) · it proporsi (to start an activity)